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Here is my own little collection of ceramic pie birds. They are also called pie funnels, ventilators, or chimneys. Those of you who are familiar with them know that they are placed in the center of the pie shell, the filling is spooned in around it and the top crust is cut to fit over the bird in the center. I use my plain white one all the time and it works very well, letting the steam out and reducing the chances of the pie filling spilling out over the edges.

The one on the left is of two blackbirds on a log, unusual to find, made in Japan ca. 1950’s. The single black bird is made in England and designed by Clarice Cliff, hand painted and bearing a registration number. The bird with the blue wings is made by Phaltzgraff, is signed and looks handpainted as well, a more recent vintage. The plain white one is probably a newer import maybe from China. The tall one with the pink base is by Shawnee Pottery, ca 1940’s or 50’s, and the elephant is from Nutbrown, made in England, more likely from the 50’s or 60’s.

There are often pie birds for sale at the antique markets, so if you are a collector, it’s best to check out these places frequently as the rarer ones are always snapped up quickly.

Prices for these range from $8 for the simple white ones to $25 and over for the more colourful and collectible ones.

Nice trio of JAJ Crown Pyrex gravy boats from England ca. 1960’s. JAJ stands for James A. Joblings, who was the person who acquired the license to make Pyrex in England from the Corning Co in the 1920’s. The pattern names are from top to bottom: Carnaby Tempo, Chelsea, and Harvest Vegetable. The shapes are different than the American ones and the patterns reflect the tastes of the Bristish customers. I like the colourful retro patterns. These would have originally come with underplates.

Nesting ashtrays, made by Anchor Hocking in the 1960’s. Pattern is called Soreno. The company made them in avocado green, teal blue, pink, crystal and irridescent and this colour which is called ‘Honey Gold’. I think everyone had an ashtray like this in their homes in that era. They were plentiful to find a few years ago but not so much now.

If you would like to see this item and other vintage dishes from the mid 20th century, please visit my booth Fab Finds at the Almonte Antique Market, 26 Mill Street, Almonte ON. Just 30 minutes west of the city of Ottawa ON.

Open 7 days a week, all year long, from 10am to 5pm. Over 50 vendors housed in a beautiful 2 storey heritage building.

Three nice Coke trays from different eras. The left one is from 1967, advertising Expo 67. The back one is an older 50’s tray and the right one is a reproduction from a very early tray but is dated in the 1980’s.

To see these and other Fabulous Finds, please visit my booth at the Almonte Antique Market, 26 Mill Street, Almonte ON. Just 30 minutes west of Ottawa.

Open year round, 7 days a week, 10am to 5pm. Over 50 dealers in a 2 storey, 5,000 square foot heritage building in downtown Almonte.

I have no idea who made this compote. It is a substantial piece, big enough to comfortably hold fruits or buns. No markings on the bottom to go by either. Lovely blue shade similar to Fenton’s turquoise milk glass and to some pieces of Westmoreland glass. The glass is opaque and the bowl is quite heavy.

To find this and other ‘fab finds’ please visit my booth at the Almonte Antique Market, 26 Mill Street, Almonte ON. Open 7 days a week all year round except Christmas Day.

This was a ‘Had to Have’ item when I came across it in an antique store in a small town recently. The moment I laid eyes on it, the memories flooded back. I had one that had a white background and similar paisley decorations in turquoise and reds. My younger sister, who kindly modelled the coat in the photo, inherited the coat from me back in the 70’s. We both had strong reactions and a sense of ‘deja vu’ when we saw the coat and luckily for my sister, it fit her. I was not so lucky.

The coat is in excellent vintage condition, with very little apparent wear. The label says: Lady Utex – The Aristocrat of Casual Fashion – Made in Canada. The coat is lined with a gold coloured satin and has a lined attached hood. The fabric has a soft, velvety feel to it.

I will be bringing the coat and some other vintage clothes to the Ottawa Antique Show at Carleton University Fieldhouse on Oct 25th and 26th 2014. Drop by my booth and try it on and be transported back in time.

This biscuit tin is in nice condition with some minor scuffing and tiny dents consistent with use and age. The pattern is actually in gold tones, which my photo doesn’t do justice to. These biscuit tins were made by Baret Ware in England and this one is dated on the side 1964.

There is a round compartment on the underside of the lid which holds a moisture absorbing material to keep the biscuits dry. Periodically the component in the lid should be taken out and placed in a warm oven to dry out and then returned to the compartment in the lid.

These tins are available with lots of different designs. This one is called Somerset.

Priced at around $15 and available in my booth at the Almonte Antique Market, 26 Mill Street, Almonte ON.